Can't open my IWP'd database

[Kevin Cheesman]

I'm having a few problems!

I've set my port to 591 in FileMaker and can open and use the datebase anywhere on my network with a browser.

I've got into my Dlink router and set the start/end port to 591 for the IP address of my Mac which is 192.168.0.3

My ASDL connection gives me my IP address and I gather that if I use this instead of local IP address and I should be able to access the database from outside th network. Well, I can't.

Any ideas?

Edited February 5, 2006 by Guest

[Wim Decorte]

From the outside do you also include the port? You need to do this in a browser outside your network:

http://x.x.x.x:591/

Where the x.x.x.x is your ADSL assigned public IP address.

[IdealData]

Hi Kevin

I noticed this posting going around for a while.

Simplyfy the problem and map the whole external IP address to your internal IP address. You will still need to specify x.x.x.x:591 in your browser from outside, but at least you will be allowing ALL PORTS. If that works then you know that the port forwarding is not set up or working correctly.

It is also possible your ISP is blocking certain traffic (unlikely) or you have routing table problem in the D-Link.

[Kevin Cheesman]

Would this be anything to do with my Firewall?

Personal File Sharing = On

Windows Sharing = On

All others are unchecked.

[Wim Decorte]

Hi Kevin,

You haven't answered yet if you were using the port # in the URL.

The software firewall on your machine should not be an issue if you can connect to your machine from a browser anywhere else in your LAN.

[Kevin Cheesman]

Yes I am using the port number in the URL.

I can access the database from my LAN but if I replace the local IP address with the one my ISP gives me, I just get " can't find server".

[Wim Decorte]

Are you actually trying from the outside, of from inside the LAN, using the external IP address?

Maybe do a port scan on the external IP address to verify that port 5003 is effectively open?

[Kevin Cheesman]

I don't know how to do a port scan on a Mac. Can you advise?

I called Dlink yesterday. They suggested I set Filemaker to port 5003. FileMaker reported that this port was already in use.

Edited February 7, 2006 by Guest

[Wim Decorte]

Sorry, can't help you with Mac port scanning software. But a google should turn up a good selection. Remember that for best results you need to be outside your LAN when you do your testing.

As to the port: you can't set or change FM's port. It's hard coded to use port 5003. It's the official FM data port:

http://www.iana.org/assignments/port-numbers

[Kevin Cheesman]

I disagree with your comments about ports - check the link you gave. It lists 591 for FileMaker. Also, why is there a setting in the IWP setup for the port number?

[Wim Decorte]

Disagree all you like

There various FM ports listed there, check the whole list. But 5003 is the one for FM to FM data traffic and it can't be changed. 591 is listed there because it's registered to FMI to allow an alternate web traffic port for those deployments where IWP/CWP can't be done on the standard HTTP port 80. If FM hadn't provided an alternate HTTP port then you'd have to pick a random one, potentially conflicting with a port that is registered to something else.